Attached is an article from Structural Magazine. The article, titled, “Optimizing Light and Space in the Big City”, discusses the versatility that concrete construction offered, “The architects to maximally achieve their visual intent while providing an economic and functional design solution.”

The eight-story, 26,000 sf building at 653 Tenth Avenue in New York City contains a ground floor consists of retail space and a separate residential entrance and lobby. Above this level are apartment units. The building’s vertical circulation core is located along the north party wall, maximizing the building’s East, South and West perimeter for large glazed views of Midtown and Downtown and abundant daylight. Four apartment units (a studio, two one-bedroom and a two-bedroom living room) are situated along the buildings outside corners reaping maximum daylight and stunning views of the city skyline.

A Vierendell truss frame made these amenities possible by providing column free corners with cantilevers up to 20 feet long. The Vierendell truss at 653 10th Avenue is a steel-reinforced concrete frame that accommodates bending forces in its horizontal chord and vertical members. A typical truss frame relies on axial forces in diagonal members to transfer loads with minimum bending forces.

The concrete beams, cords and vertical members are formed and constructed the same as conventional concrete frames. Extra detail was required at the trusses ridged joints; however the additional cost was minimal.